Tonight, we got our first close-up look at the new, young 2009-10 Terps in a game situation -- an exhibition against Bowie State -- and the BasketCases came away with one overriding question . . . Could the names on the players' uniforms have been any smaller?

Everybody knows that the State of Maryland is in the midst of a huge financial crisis . . . but really! How much would a little more red thread have cost? We bet, if asked, the Rebounders would've passed the hat and contributed enough loose change to pay for a few more spools! The BCs would've been willing to help. Take it from us, all those new faces, no roster sheets and microscopic fonts Do Not Mix!

Of course, one of our section-mates suggested the problem was that the team had to select a font small enough for all 12 letters of Diandra's last name to fit on her jersey. But here's the BC's solution . . . she's from France, right? She's new to the USA, right? She knows the NCAA has all sorts of rules, right? So just tell Diandra that under NCAA regulations, uniform names can't exceed 8 letters! T-c-h-a-t-c-h-o-u-a-n-g. Let her pick her favorite 8 letters and those will be the ones stitched on her uniform. Problem solved! Name shortening . . . hey, it's the American way! If it was good enough for the BC's ancestors arriving at Ellis Island, it's good enough for the Terps, right? Just a thought. But we digress.

Returning to the game . . . we have to confess that when the new Terps ran out to warm up, it seemed a little strange. We were looking at a team (and a program) undergoing its first major overhaul in quite a few years. It just felt odd. But not odd bad; more like odd interesting, exciting and fun.

Exciting to see Lori Bjork and Jackie Nared finally out there on the court, after a year on the sidelines. Exciting to see the returning veterans like Lynetta, Kim, Anjale and Yemi. Interesting to see all the newbies like Dara Taylor, Tianna Hawkins, Diandra T(+7) and Essence Townsend. Fun to see Kim nailing three-pointers like she did last March in Greensboro . . . especially that one off the glass (the BCs think she deserves to be credited with an assist and the score on that one!). Interesting and exciting to wonder what all these new players and this new season will bring.

Tonight's game was fun to watch in that not particularly competitive exhibition game sorta way. The Terps easily defeated neighboring Bowie State, 90-48. Every player on the Terps roster saw plenty of playing time and everyone scored. Freshman Tianna Hawkins led all scorers with 20 points and notched her first collegiate double-double by adding 10 boards. Pretty good debut!

It was an exhibition game against a D-II school, so it's a little early to take too much away from tonight's result. But for such a new -- and young-- team, it was a chance for the players to get their feet wet against a real opponent, with real refs, with real fans in the stands, and with real score being kept. A successful outing, no doubt, from that standpoint. Exhibition or not, congratulations to the Terps on their first "W" of the season!